The Lotus Eaters
by Final Authority
Summary: Finished, An assignment for English. Just a simple rewrite of the Lotus Eaters in Story format. I kept as true to the story as I could.


A/N Hey everyone! I had an English assignment in school on having to rewrite the Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey so I did! Yay! Okay um… italics are thoughts and.. that's oit! (I may write another Odyssey story just for fun or something… maybe… I dunno… so please R&R!

The Lotus Eaters...

"Pull the mast! You, scout for land! Get the water out of the ship men! We do not need to sink!" Odysseus cried giving orders. For the past two days they have been plagued by a storm created by Zeus. Odysseus and his men were fatigued, and short-tempered. Anytime one of his men even _thinked _about questioning their Captain's ordersthey would be screamed at until they decided to follow them. The crew were so tired by now they just wanted to rest up, however Odysseus wouldn't have it."Keep working!" he cried angrily. "You _do_ want to get home don't you!" The crew nodded and continued their orders. After a while voice rang out,

"Captain! It's Dawn!" The storm had finally begun to die down and the sun began to peak through the clouds. There were various cheer among the group. Odysseus himself even began to cheer.

"Excellent!" he cried. "Set a course home!" With that he left to his cabin to take a well deserved rest. Unfortunately the current began to push them off course. For nine days they floated aimlessly trying to find land. However on today the tenth day Odysseus was in his cabin, asleep, when land was spotted off shore.

"Wake the Captain!" said one of the men looking around. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing. Odysseus wasn't going to be happy about being awakened after the past sleepless nights. The crew looked around at each other deciding who was going to do it.

"How about you?" asked one man pointing at the youngest crew member. The boy looked up in surprise. He was about to protest when two of the strongest men picked him up and deposited him before the door that led to Odysseus's cabin. "Good luck." said one pushing him in.

"Hey wait! Why me!" he asked trying to open up the door. He heard a couple snickers from the outside. "Well I never liked you anyway!" With a slight sigh at the increasing laughs from outside he headed in further. He stopped before Odysseus's bed. "Wake up sir, we have arrived at an island." Odysseus blearily opened one eye.

"No 'Thank you sir for saving our lives during that storm'? Or no 'We could not have done it without you sir'? I see I am most under appreciated…" The boy hung his head in regret. The Captain must be extremely bad tempered after trying so hard to get everyone home only to be blown off course.

"Sorry, sir…" Odysseus frowned at him. _My god, after so many days of enduring this all I get is a 'wake up sir'! _hethought angrily_ Well I better get up anyway, no doubt I'll have to save them from whatever is on that island. Again! _

"Ah, I suppose it doesn't matter now. Go and tell the crew to land, and NOT to leave the ship until I give them the instructions to do so. Is that clear?" The boy nodded. "Excellent, you may go." Rather relived he got off so easy the boy, swung open the door and ran out. Odysseus chuckled and followed him out.

When they landed the crew began to ask question after question to their leader. "Who's going to scout out the island sir?" asked one. "What is this place Odysseus?" asked another. "What can we steal from here?" cried the boy from before. Odysseus raised up a hand for silence.

"I will send three of my most trusted men to go out, I am not exactly sure where we are, and frankly I don't know what there is for the taking." This quieted down everyone's questions. "Now." he pointed to three men standing next to him. "You three. have proved your worth in battle, and on this trip. I would like you to go." The men puffed out their chests, feeling very important indeed, and left the ship. Once they were gone Odysseus sighed. "May Hermes, with all his speed, have them return..."

Odysseus's three men headed further into the island for hours, until they most defiantly decided, they were lost.

"I say we go to the left! That is most certainly the way back." said one stopping the group

"You know nothing, I say we go to the right!" said the second. The two began bickering about it until the third held out his hands to stop them.

"How about forward?" he suggested trying to end the fight.

"Forward!" the other two cried simultaneously. "Have you lost your mind!"

"It was worth a shot…" All three began to argue when they heard something stirring in the bushes. A man walked out looking at the three.

"Please, my friends." he said in soft, docile tones. "Do not fight, we must be peaceful." As he said this the men turned to him.

"Who are you!" asked one. The man laughed slightly.

"I honestly don't remember. However that is not important… would you like some Lotus to eat?"

A couple days later Odysseus was staring intently at the land, rather annoyed. His men had still not reported back, nor did they even return! "Look I'm going to find them! I want you all to stay here and do not leave!" He quickly ran off the ship and headed onto the island. He didn't have to walk in too far when three men appeared.

"Hello, good sir!" said one. "Would you like to have some Lotus?"

"No, thank you…" replied Odysseus. "I'm looking for three…" Suddenly it dawned upon him that these men were in fact his crew members. "What are you doing? Get back on the ship!" They shook their heads.

"I'm afraid I do not know what you talking about…." said another raising an eyebrow at Odysseus. "Are you sure you do not want some Lotus?"

"No! Look, don't you want to get back home? I am certain you are my crew members! Please! Come back with me!" He grabbed the third's hand and tried to lead him off.

"I don't want to go anywhere!" he cried pulling his hand away. "This is my home now! It's perfect! No violence, no anger, no storms or anything! I like this place! Now excuse us! We have to gather more Lotus…"

"What is this Lotus you speak of?" asked Odysseus calmly. He knew is he reacted to harshly the men would simply leave.

"It a beautiful plant that makes us feel calm when we eat it…"_Of course!_ thought Odysseus. _The plant must be enchanted to make people feel good. However, when they feel good, they will want to stay here and continue to stay here and eat this plant, and then they forget everything. I have to trick them into getting back on the boat…_

"Hey, listen. Some of my friends on the boat may want some Lotus… do you think you could perhaps offer them some?"

"Of course! We would love to make them feel happy too!"

"I'm sure you would…" said Odysseus. "Come, I shall lead you to the boat." The men nodded excitedly. Back at the boat everyone was getting worried.

"What do you think happened to them?" a man asked nervously "Do you think they're okay?"

"Why not look for yourself! Odysseus had returned with them!" Cheers erupted Odysseus walked on.

"Quiet!" he said glaring at the crew. "I need you all to grab them and then, tie them down into their rowing position. Understand?" Everyone nodded. When the three came unto the ship the crew pounced upon them on Odysseus's ordered and tied them down. "All hands aboard; come clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus or you'll lose your hope of home!" Everyone who was lounging upon the beach ran into action and quickly got back onto the ship. Once again, Odysseus had saved the crew and they began their seafaring.


End file.
